A Wonderful Unexpected Christmas Gift

My wife Mary and I are an interracial couple. Over forty years ago, Mary's dad and stepmother who raised her accepted their daughter marrying a black guy. Mary's birth mother did not. She refused to meet me.

Around Thanksgiving, Mary received an amazing letter from her birth mother expressing how sorry she was and how much she wanted to meet her son-in-law. Every year, we drive from West Virginia to Baltimore for my family's Christmas Eve gathering. Mary called her birth mother and set up a time for us to visit while we were in Baltimore.

Mary's birth mother excitedly greeted us with hugs. She had dinner prepared. The gathering included Mary's half-sister, her brother, and their spouses. Mary's birth mother's grandson and his wife were there also.

Mary's birth mother asked me to say grace before we ate. I said I was a bit shy and would rather for her to say the prayer.

As she prayed, she wept, thanking God for bringing her family together. Spontaneously, I reached out with one hand and grabbed her hand. With my other hand, I grabbed Mary's hand. It was an awesome heartfelt moment orchestrated by the Holy Spirit.

Over the course of the evening, we all laughed a lot, got to know each other, and viewed family pictures. I learned that Mary's half-brother and his wife are conservatives who have been following my Christian conservative political activist work for years on the internet. Mary's birth mother is a born-again Christian.

The evening was wonderful. Mary and I left feeling extremely blessed and grateful. God had gifted us new family.